Releasable Fastener Assembly Affixable Through a Panel

ABSTRACT

A releasable fastener assembly is affixable through a panel having a front side and a back side and a mounting hole therethrough. The releasable fastener assembly includes a mounting button attachable to the panel back side, the mounting button having a button shaft sized to fit into the mounting hole and a button head with a diameter larger than the mounting hole. A seal may be fit between the mounting button and the panel back side. One part of a releasable fastener is attachable to the panel front side and has an aperture therein in alignment with the mounting hole. A fixing member secures the one part and the mounting button to each other through the panel.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/944,008, filed Sep. 20, 2004, pending, the entire content of which ishereby incorporated by reference in this application.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

(NOT APPLICABLE)

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a releasable fastener assembly and,more particularly, to a releasable fastener assembly affixable throughmaterials that are not particularly suitable for such constructions.

It is desirable to secure fasteners such as snaps and the like to glasssurfaces so that objects cooperable with the attached releasablefastener can be easily attached and detached to/from the glass. In oneexemplary application, one part of a fastener may be secured via anadhesive to a top portion of a boat windshield, while a fabric cover orthe like including a complement fastener is easily attachable anddetachable to the windshield.

Securing the fastener via adhesive, however, has a number of drawbacks.In particular, the adhesive bonded fastener parts are difficult torepair/replace in the field. Additionally, problems may arise inprecisely locating the fastener parts. Still further, the processrequired for applying the adhesive and securing the fastener parts mayrequire clamping and other apparatus and may result in a lower qualityor messy appearance.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It would thus be desirable to provide an assembly enabling a releasablefastener to be easily and precisely secured to a surface such as glassand the like. Additionally, it would be beneficial if the assembly waseasily repaired in the field and the location and clamping problemsassociated with gluing were eliminated.

The assembly of the invention enables a releasable fastener to besecured to a panel such as a glass panel via a hole in the panel.

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a releasable fastenerassembly is affixable through a panel having a front side and a backside and a mounting hole therethrough. The releasable fastener assemblyincludes a mounting button attachable to the panel back side, where themounting button has a button shaft sized to fit into the mounting holeand a button head with a diameter larger than the mounting hole. A sealmay be fit between the mounting button and the panel back side. One partof a releasable fastener is attachable to the panel front side and hasan aperture therein in alignment with the mounting hole. A fixing membersecures the one part, the seal (if included) and the mounting button toone another through the panel. The seal preferably is an O-ring sealhaving a diameter smaller than the button head. The button head mayinclude a channel therein shaped to receive the O-ring seal.

In one arrangement, the releasable fastener comprises a snap assembly,and the one part is one of a male part of the snap assembly or a femalepart of the snap assembly. The mounting button may include a threadedhole within the button shaft, and in which case the fixing member is ascrew sized to be threaded into the threaded hole. The mounting buttonmay alternatively include an unthreaded hole into which the fixingmember is screwed.

In another exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method of securing areleasable fastener assembly to a panel having a front side and a backside includes the steps of forming a mounting hole through the panel;providing a mounting button having a button shaft sized to fit into themounting hole and a button head with a diameter larger than the mountinghole; inserting the button shaft into the mounting hole; providing onepart of a releasable fastener having an aperture therein, and providinga fixing member sized to fit through the aperture; aligning the apertureof the one part with the mounting hole on the front side of the panel;and securing with the fixing member the one part, the seal and themounting button to one another through the panel. A seal may be fit overthe button shaft such that the seal is disposed between the button headand the back side of the panel.

In still another exemplary embodiment of the invention, a releasablefastener assembly is securable through a hole in a panel and includesone part of a releasable fastener having an aperture therein, and amounting button having a button shaft with a threaded hole therein. Afixing screw is extendable through the aperture of the one part and intothe threaded hole of the button shaft, where the fixing screw is sizedto secure the one part and the mounting button on opposite sides of thepanel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects and advantages of the present invention will bedescribed in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is an assembly drawing of the releasable fastener assemblyaccording to the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a side view of the releasable fastener assembly securedthrough a glass panel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is an exploded assembly drawing of the releasable fastenerassembly 10 according to the present invention. As shown, the exemplaryreleasable fastener part is shown as a portion of a snap assembly. Suchan assembly, however, is exemplary as those of ordinary skill in the artwill appreciate other suitable releasable fastener parts for theapplication of the present invention, and the invention is thus notnecessarily meant to be limited to the illustrated example. Moreover,the releasable fastener assembly 10 of the invention could be affixedthrough any material with a suitably sized hole therein. A preferredapplication, however, is for those materials that are not typicallysuited for direct attachment, such as glass, acrylic, or other suitablesheet goods.

With continued reference to FIG. 1, the releasable fastener assembly 10of the present invention is affixable through a panel 12 having a frontside 14 and a back side 16. A mounting hole 18 is formed through thepanel by any suitable means such as drilling or the like.

The releasable fastener assembly 10 includes a mounting button 20 shownattachable to the panel back side 16. The mounting button 20 includes abutton shaft 22 sized to fit into the mounting hole 18 and a button head24 with a diameter larger than the mounting hole 18. A seal 26,preferably an O-ring seal, is sized to fit over the button shaft 22. Ina preferred arrangement, the button head 24 is provided with a channel28 therein that is shaped to receive the seal 26. Additionally, thebutton shaft 22 includes a hole 29 therein, which may or may not be athreaded hole (threads shown in phantom in FIG. 1).

One part 30 of a releasable fastener is attachable to the panel frontside 14 and preferably includes an aperture 32 therein generallydisposed in alignment with the mounting hole 18. As noted, the part 30of the releasable fastener as shown in FIG. 1 may either be a male partof a snap assembly or a female part of a snap assembly. Other releasablefasteners may alternatively be used. A fixing member 34, such as anassembly screw, is inserted through the aperture 32 in the releasablefastener part 30 and into the hole 29 in the button shaft 22. Thefastener 34 may be threaded (as shown in phantom in FIG. 1) to engagethreaded hole 29 or may be securable in unthreaded hole 29 via suitablemeans. The fastener 34 thus secures the fastener part 30, the seal 26and the mounting button 20 to one another through the panel 12. In onealternative embodiment, the aperture 32 of the one part 30 may beeliminated, and the fixing member 34 may be formed integral with the onepart 30.

To further facilitate assembly, the button shaft 22 may terminate at astepped portion 36, and a corresponding receiving portion 38 is formedadjacent the releasable fastener aperture 32.

FIG. 2 shows the releasable fastener assembly 10 of the inventionaffixed to a glass or acrylic panel 12. With this configuration, anattaching product incorporating the fastener complement to the fastenerpart 30 of the assembly 10 can be easily attached and detached to/fromthe panel 12. Moreover, assembly repair is made easier, while theinitial assembly does not require clamps or the like or leave a messylow-quality appearance.

While the invention has been described in connection with what ispresently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments,it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to thedisclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover variousmodifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit andscope of the appended claims.

1. A method of securing a releasable fastener assembly to a panel havinga front side and a back side, the method comprising: forming a mountinghole through the panel; providing a mounting button having a buttonshaft sized to fit into the mounting hole and a button head with adiameter larger than the mounting hole; inserting the button shaft intothe mounting hole; providing one part of a releasable fastener having anaperture therein, and providing a fixing member sized to fit through theaperture; and securing with the fixing member the one part and themounting button to each other through the panel.
 2. A method accordingto claim 1, further comprising providing a seal shaped to fit betweenthe mounting button and the panel back side, wherein the seal isdisposed between at least one of the button head and the back side ofthe panel or between the fixing member and the front side of the panel,and wherein the securing step comprises securing with the fixing memberthe one part, the seal, and the mounting button to one another throughthe panel.
 3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the mounting buttoncomprises an unthreaded hole within the button shaft, and wherein thefixing member is securable in the unthreaded hole, the securing stepcomprising securing the fixing member in the unthreaded hole of thebutton shaft.
 4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the mountingbutton comprises a threaded hole within the button shaft, and whereinthe fixing member comprises a screw sized to be threaded into thethreaded hole, the securing step comprising threading the screw into thethreaded hole of the button shaft.